Publisher says "certain framework elements" of From Ashes content needed to be on disc to ensure "seamless" integration of new character.
BioWare has admitted that pieces of the From Ashes downloadable content for Mass Effect 3 are already on copies of the just-released action role-playing game.
In response to a user video showing that PC players could unlock the DLC's new character without a download, BioWare issued a statement to the GameStop-owned Game Informer magazine. The same statement was sent to GameSpot.
"As stated previously, in order to seamlessly integrate Javik into the core campaign, certain framework elements and character models needed to be put on disc," reads the statement. "We did something similar with Zaeed and Kasumi in Mass Effect 2."
It was not made clear if the parts of the From Ashes content are included only on the PC version of Mass Effect 3 or if PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 copies also host the content. As of press time, Electronic Arts had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment.
Last month, Mass Effect 3 executive producer Casey Hudson defended the timing of the From Ashes day-one DLC for the spacefaring role-playing game. He said development on the content did not begin until after the game was finished and in certification.
The From Ashes content is included with the collector's edition of Mass Effect 3 and is available for purchase. It includes a Prothean squadmate (Javik), a mission on Eden Prime, a new weapon, and an alternate appearance option for every team member.
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
@gamerboy100 this dlc was planeed way before the game came out the only things that was on the disc was convos that javik had during the other missions, the dlc you downdload was his mission guns and also alternative costumes, which by the way wasnt on the disc. its makes it more seemless and its a good idea to implement this so javik can interact with other mission, if this all came out in one dlc pack it would take hours to download for some and more likely the interaction with javik wouldnt be there like with saeed and kasumi in me2
If the content is already in the disc then shouldn't this DLC suppose to be free? Hey if we paid full price for this crap then we need the full price value of it, not an incomplete title that will hog more money.
Riddle me this, Bioware: If development on the DLC didn't start until the discs were already in production, then how did part of the DLC end up on the disc?
@syafiqjabar the point of the video was that they caught Bioware in a lie , they said that the code in the game was meaningless code to help make the dlc transition better. one whole character in the game does not seem like meaningless code now does it? -_- don't you love it when people miss the whole point of something?
why is everyone tripping out over this... just rent it from Redbox for $2! finish the game and wait for the so called "GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION" where you will only pay $39.96 for it... you get all the "dlc" and the game at a cheaper price. Me, I'm just going to rent games from now on... I'm tired of being milked.
It is imperative, that people who disapprove of this type of behavior, do not support the business practices and wait it out and buy the game used. That way you vote with a majority of your dollar, and maybe help an honest businessman/woman who actually values their customers and will not jerk them off or around. :)
For crying out... There's almost always unfinished content on the disc when a game is released. Mostly, it's because they can't remove it without screwing something up, so they leave it there and lock it. In the case of From Ashes, Bioware left what they'd finished of Javik before they rewrote his part and cut him. After the game was locked, and sent out for certification, they went back and finished what was left over, and that's the 600mb download for the DLC.
@EnvoyAJ its because of people like you that we keep getting penetrated up the buttox, don't you see this is only a starting point, later they'll want to only give us half of the game and release the rest as dlc!!!
@HappyBB Yeah but only a part of it is on there so we'll still have to download a bit. Unless they put the whole DLC on the disc and all we have to buy is the thing to download it.
If you try to access Javik without buying the DLC, chances are you will get a few sound files, an invisible character and cutscenes where nothing happens because most of the major files for the DLC is in the 500MB+ download you get after paying for it. Kasumi was like that too. As I recall, if you hack into the game to access her before her DLC was released all you get are the sound files where she comments on certain things in the game world. @FuBi2k Let me tell you about a game called Fallout 3...
@xReikenx Agreed. I don't like this form of DLC. $60 is enough to spend on a game, so if the game already has the content go ahead and give it to the consumer, not charge them additionally for it. I guess the only way to make them wake up, or stop doing this is to not buy into this form of DLC. Mass Effect is one of my favorite series, but this form of distributing is bad for the market.Next they'll be selling episodes for $60, or time limits for additional $$.
Games with a real purpose other than making money will be dead outside of indie content in the next decade if EA keeps worrying more about $ than providing fun, engaging content. Bioware, you need to jump ship as soon and as fast as you can.
They can defend it all they want. If it's in the disk and you can't access it then it was shipped with the game. :B Javik wasn't exactly a great character either which makes forcing people to spend 70-80 dollars on the game to get him even more of a rip off. But oh well, we can't really expect much more from EA.
Wait, i don't get it if they can include the character model on the disc why didn't they include all From Ashes Content on the..... ah hell i don't care anymore, i already moved on anyway, EA and Bioware can rot in hell.
@EnvoyAJ I think it's because of the popularity of the game. If enough voices "yell" about it, people write articles. When people write articles, people who wouldn't even have known about it are added to the yelling. And boom, the Internet is aflame. Also a way to gripe about EA and how they're the devil or something. Origin, PC, blah blah.
Can somebody explain me what's the problem about it? Why so much fuss? Many games in the past were delivered with some content which was later not part of the game but still on the disc.
The funny thing about this so called DLC is that it's a crucial part to the entire story, its like they decided to just take a part out and say well if they want to know this part of the story they have to pay, seems like a Volume from one of the comic books.. First online pass's to crush the used game industry and now this.. The Reapers truly have come.
Let's get loud people!!!!! Let's show them. Let's outsmart them. How? Don't support the DLC's! Hell, don't support this games even. Let them miss our money. THEN they'll change - I'm sure of it.
Wow guys. Chill out. This isn't the scandal you think it is. All they did was plan for DLC. It's not like the whole DLC was on the disc. Just some character models.
Remember when Bioware wasn't owned by EA? Those were the days...ME one caught the tail end of the semi-independent era. Loved ME2, but downhill after that with the DLC (love ME3 gameplay and story). I bought the N7 edition, so technically I already got it upon purchase, but it still sucks for others. EA is a corporation traded on the NASDAQ. It is supposed to appease stockholders with profits, I suppose. In the pursuit of profits, someone always gets shafted.
@ssdd_again If they get a fair salary for creating extra DLC then I'd admit it's getting a little greedy to ask for more money out of it. Either way though my original point still stands, the game is amazing and something as mundane as optional totally unessential DLC shouldn't stop anyone getting it. All you get from not buying it is one less quality game to play, and that should never be a good thing to any gamer. If perhaps a tonne of people followed in the footsteps of not buying it at all in a little rebellious act then maybe it would have an impact. But since it's shipped 3.5 million anyway it's just pointless in trying. People should get over there morals and experience this game for themselves.
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